Professional Learning

ESI Strategies in Action

ESI creates a professional community among schools that are committed to developing and sustaining programs and practices that support increased college and career access among Black and Latino young men. Schools are using the following frameworks to guide their professional learning:

Research shows that low graduation rates are driven by students who are not prepared for high school and have trouble transitioning to ninth grade. The ESI Summer Bridge Program was an opportunity for academic enrichment and acceleration for incoming freshmen to get a sense of the rigor and standards that are expected of them in high school. In addition to academic support, Summer Bridge focused on academic and personal skills that are essential to promoting a college-going and career-readiness mindset.

A major focus of ESI ‘s implementation has been the introduction of Culturally Responsive Educational (CRE) techniques to build institutional capacity among adults to support Black and Latino young men and change mindsets among school professionals to ensure all key staff recognize their cultural beliefs that may impact students at their school. Watch this video to learn more about CRE.

This report describes college-related outcomes and other indicators that help predict college readiness for Black and Latino male students over time, and discusses key contextual factors that underlie these educational outcomes.